Certain water heater appliances include a tank for receiving water. Heating elements, such as electric resistance heating elements, gas burners or heat pump systems, heat water within the tank in order to generate heated water. The tank is generally formed of or with a metal, such as carbon steel. Carbon steel tanks are prone to galvanic corrosion when anodic and cathodic cells of the water heater appliance are electrically linked by an electrolyte, such as water within the tank. Inner walls of the carbon steel tanks may be coated with a porcelain enamel corrosion barrier. However, the tank may include areas where the corrosion barrier cannot be applied. Such areas are commonly referred to as “holiday regions.” Corrosion of the tank at the holiday regions can be rapid and adversely affect the life of the water heater appliance.
To limit such corrosion, certain water heater appliances include an anode rod that exchanges electrons with the tank. In particular, electrons from the anode rod may flow through the electrolyte to the holiday region. Thus, the anode rod may corrode and/or lose mass over time in lieu of the carbon steel tank. The anode rod is generally located in close proximity to any holiday regions within the tank in order to facilitate corrosion protection with the anode rod. Thus, the anode rods are commonly installed such that the anode rods extends from a top of the tank downwardly towards a bottom of the tank in order to be positioned proximate holiday regions at the top and bottom of the tank. In such a manner, corrosion of the tank may be limited or prevented by providing the anode rod.
Over time, the anode rod is depleted. When depleted, the anode rod is preferably replaced in order to protect the tank. However, accessing and removing the anode rod can be difficult. For example, a tip of the anode rod is commonly encased in insulation that must be removed to access the anode rod. Removing such insulation can be inconvenient and tedious. Further, in heat pump water heater appliances, components of a sealed system may be located near the anode rod. Avoiding such components during removal of the anode rod can be difficult.
The anode rod may be threaded to the tank in order to ensure a leak tight joint and electrical continuity between the anode rod and tank. Thus, to remove the anode rod, the anode rod is rotated relative to the tank. However, rotating the anode rod relative to the tank can be difficult. For example, calcium carbonate and other hard water components solidify upon the holiday regions and other exposed surfaces of the tank, including the threaded region around the anode rod and tank interface, during operation of the water heater appliance. Such scale buildup can increase the torque required to remove the anode rod. Thus, the threads of the anode rod may bind or stick such that rotating the anode rod relative to the tank is difficult. If the threads of the anode rod stick, a repair technician attempting to break the thread lock between the tank and the anode rod may rotate the entire water heater appliance rather than just the anode rod. Such motion of the water heater appliance can damage inlet and outlet piping coupled to the water heater appliance. To avoid such motion of the water heater appliance, the repair technician may require elaborate means to resist the rotation of the water heater appliance during removal of the anode rod.
Accordingly, a water heater appliance with features for facilitating access to an anode rod of the water heater appliance would be useful. In addition, a water heater appliance with features for facilitating removal of an anode rod from the water heater appliance would be useful.